[BC] From NAB Newsletter

[Bruce Potterton]

One other factor is that the radios do a cross fade from analog to HD so
even if there is a hearable difference it is not noticeable.   I recenty
got a Boston Acoustics HD radio.. I can not tell the difference on any
of the LA stations.  I can hear a difference in quality between HD1 and
HD2.

They should of have made it with a hard change... At least that way
maybe you could hear a slight difference in the high end due to no 75 uS
pre.  On that radio there is no difference except that HD woun't lock
unless you have an external antenna and a strong signal.   Not much
advantage.   Oh yeah you have a data display but you can have that too
with RDS.

Bruce Potterton
KSGN

-----Original Message-----
From: broadcast-bounces at radiolists.net
[mailto:broadcast-bounces at radiolists.net] On Behalf Of WFIFeng at aol.com
Sent: Monday, July 17, 2006 1:15 PM
To: broadcast at radiolists.net
Subject: Re: [BC] From NAB Newsletter

In a message dated 07/17/2006 2:05:36 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
SBailey at nespower.com writes:

>    I think I'm may be holding my breath too long if I have to wait for

> the $99.00 HD Receiver at Best Buy.

I still don't see it happening. When you can, quite literally, buy an
AM/FM radio (with "digital" tuning and memory presets) for about $9.95,
why are people going to spend 10x that much for pretty much the very
same thing? It's gotta be looked at through the eyes of the consumers:
"What's in it for me?"

> There is only one station in the
>  market that is HD, that I know of, WVNS-FM (Venus 102.5).
>     I will pay the 99.00 for the HD receiver because I like the format

> if  WVNS, all 80's Top 40, the stuff I played on the radio when I was 
> in  college.

The "IBUZ Revolution" (TM Rich W) isn't even going to be a blip on John
& Jane Q. Public's radar until they can get radios in the sub $20 range
that will play for days on a pair of AA's, like they do now. How long
will the batteries last in that $99 special? What kind of batteries will
it need? Laptop style? 
How big will the whole thing be? What cost/benefit ratio are they going
to see? 
"Streaming" music quality of 64Kbps? (If the station alocates 32 for an
HD2
channel.) Again, they ask, "What's in it for me?"

Basically, the way this seems to be shaping up, the only somewhat viable
purpose I see for FM IBUZ is as a pretty decent replacement for analog
SCAs. I still think the DRE system could do that a whole lot better,
tho. (A *whole lot* cheaper & easier, too!) People looking for special,
dedicated formats (Reading for the Blind, etc.) will either get Gov't
subsidized receivers, or people will get the receiver when they
"subscribe" to the specialty programming by purchasing it from the
station or network. I can't see 'em plunking down $99 for just "another
radio", tho. Again, they'll ask, "WHAT'S in it for me??"

The AM system is already showing us how bad it can get, and it's not
even running 24 hours, yet. To think... I was actually positive about
this technology a couple years ago... until I saw what this "emporer"
was(n't) wearing. <:P

Willie...

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